Over the past month, students in Thailand have been protesting against the monarchy and the military-led Thai administration and demanding more democracy. An article on the World news website says, “The monarchy seems to have taken note,” as the...
An ideological link that exists today between Brasilia and Washington, and between the personalities of Presidents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, according to an article in O Globo, one of the most prominent newspapers in Brazil. Should Joe Biden...
The Persian Gulf region represents one of the most geopolitically and strategically important parts of the world. Among other attributes, the nine Gulf nations hold 55 percent of the world’s oil reserves. However, tensions among and between the...
Ambassador Susan D. Page, who has served the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations in senior roles for decades – across East, Central and Southern Africa, and...
The Ford School will welcome delegates from countries around the world as we host the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Symposium virtually or in-person October 12-16, 2020. NDI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization that works...
The Ford School’s Weiser Diplomacy Center officially launched last fall with visits from an all-star lineup of leaders in foreign affairs. Each visitor also met with students, faculty, and alumni in a variety of settings while in Ann Arbor.
How...
How the Weiser Diplomacy Center is preparing the next generation of foreign affairs leaders.
By Rebecca Cohen (MPP ‘09)
When the Weiser Diplomacy Center (WDC) launched in fall 2019, it made a big splash with incredible speakers that included...
Brazil’s Supreme Court on April 28 ordered an investigation of President Jair Bolsonaro after popular Justice Minister Sérgio Moro resigned and accused him of firing the country’s Federal Police chief in an attempt to interfere with investigations....
Following her public event at the Ford School this past Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Ambassador Susan Rice sat down with 20 Ford School students to discuss her career and leadership experiences working for the U.S. government. Students from...
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Ford School hosted Ambassador Susan Rice, former United Nations Ambassador and former U.S. National Security Advisor, for a conversation with Dean Michael S. Barr on her new memoir Tough Love: My Story of the...
The Hill recently featured Ford School faculty expertise on domestic and international security and counterterrorism. Javed Ali, Towsley Policymaker in Residence at the Ford School, discusses domestic terrorism and the United States’ role in Iranian...
In conjunction with hosting a presidential debate next fall, the University of Michigan will welcome representatives from regions across the globe for a symposium on promoting political candidate debates and other key democratic principles and...
Last week, Stephen Biegun (LSA ’86), U.S. special representative to North Korea, discussed the United States’ denuclearization efforts with North Korea during the Ford School’s Weiser Diplomacy Center launch series. Biegun emphasized the United...
A lecture by Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for North Korea, will kick off a series of talks planned for the fall at the new Weiser Diplomacy Center housed at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of...
In our rapidly changing world, tomorrow seems hard to predict—let alone the political, economic, and social landscapes we’ll face decades from now. But at the Ford School, we take seriously the responsibility of preparing the next generation of...
As a young lawyer in his first job out of law school, John Ciorciari made a choice that would alter the trajectory of his professional career.
He had been the editor-in-chief of the Harvard International Law Journal and specialized in...
University of Michigan’s African Studies Center (ASC) is holding a symposium titled “Sudan: In The Eye of the Storm” to encourage dialogues on the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing the country of Sudan. The event is co-sponsored with the Weiser Diplomacy Center and the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies
This roundtable is tailored to inspire and equip future policymakers with real-world insights into peacebuilding, resilience, and the practicalities of diplomatic work amidst conflict.
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Conversations Across Differences
Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Annenberg Auditorium (1120)
In the year since the Hamas attack on Israel, the deadly conflict has widened into crises beyond Gaza -- in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Yemen. Two experts with long experience in Middle East policymaking return to the Ford School for a substantive policy conversation about the conflict and the broader implications for the region, and the ways in which U.S. policy and policymakers are acting and reacting to the crises. This event is open to Ford School students, faculty, and staff, and will be streamed live and on-demand.
Join this year's Ambassadors' Forum for an in-depth look at the escalating crises in the Middle East and the critical questions surrounding the region’s stability and international involvement.
Watch live from this page
Vandenberg Lecture,
Policy Talks @ the Ford School
The Ford School is pleased to present U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink for the 6th annual Arthur Vandenberg Lecture. Ambassador Brink will give brief remarks on the situation in Ukraine as it enters its third year of war with Russia, followed by a conversation with Weiser Diplomacy Center Director Susan D. Page.
Democracy around the world is both robust -- two billion people will be able to cast a ballot in 2924 -- and fragile, as threats to the voting process, to the structures of democratic society, and to the voters themselves afflict many nations.
Former United Nations Under-Secretary General and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), will join us to discuss the intricate relationship between health equity and economic resilience in Africa. Dr. Songwe's insights will highlight Africa's role in global power dynamics and strategies for asserting its agency amid evolving economic landscapes.
Meet Mark Jacobson, a seasoned veteran who has made significant contributions to NATO, the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and held key roles at the Department of Defense. Mark's journey spans academia and military service.
Discover the captivating journey of President Zelensky's former press secretary and a globally acclaimed journalist. Uncover the behind-the-scenes stories of her impactful work in Ukraine and the dynamic world of journalism!
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Vandenberg Lecture
The Ford School is pleased to present Ambassador Julianne Smith, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, for the 5th annnual Arthur Vandenberg Lecture: "NATO today: Confronting the crisis in Ukraine and adapting to meet global challenges"
Center for Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College will host a policy simulation at the Ford School this fall. In this exercise, students will learn about the competition in the Arctic region and be tasked with using diplomacy to address a variety of urgent issues.
Weill Hall 1110
(Betty Ford Classroom), and livestreamed
Representative Elissa Slotkin of Michigan's 8th district joins the Ford School for a special event, in partnership with Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies (LRCCS).
Policy Talks @ the Ford School,
Vandenberg Lecture
Join us for a special pair of discussions on foreign policy priorities and global challenges with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), facilitated by Ford School Dean Michael Barr.
